Four Options at Quarterback for Massachusetts Pirates

New England is Tom Bradyland. So, why don’t the Massachusetts Pirates have a quarterback? With the Carolina Cobras and Maine Mammonths already signing quarterbacks, here are four options the third NAL expansion team could sign to start for them in 2018.

Shane Boyd

Boyd played for four NFL teams (Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans). Boyd also played for the cologne centurions in NFL Europa.

He last played for the Baltimore Brigade in the Arena Football League (AFL). He is a former backup for veteran quarterback Nick Davila, who is considered one of the best ever in arena football. Boyd has done well as a starter. If the AFL folds, Boyd could be a great fit here.

Luke Collis

Collis last played for the Philadelphia Soul.  He also led the Beijing Lions to an undefeated record and a win in the China Arena Football League title game. He is possibly the best young quarterback in the AFL.

If/when the AFL folds, Collis should come to play in Massachusetts. He is a great up and coming quarterback that stands up to the stature of other NAL quarterbacks, such as Tommy Grady and Charles McCullum.

Chris Dixon II

As mentioned before, Massachusetts is Tom Bradyland.  Dixon is the indoor football equivalent of Tom Brady. He has won six indoor football titles, three of them coming with the six-time Indoor Football League (IFL) champion Sioux Falls Storm. Two  came with the Billings Wolves, where he is a celebrity, and one came with the Texas Revolution. He retired in 2014 and returned to play with Texas this year.

Should they not bring him back, the Pirates should consider bringing him in.

Colin Kaepernick

This is a long shot, but the Richmond Roughriders (AAL) offered Kaepernick  play on their team. He could be the biggest draw in the NAL if he decided to play for the Pirates.

Soul Dominate Storm in 2017 Regular Season Finale

The Philadelphia Soul hosted the Tampa Bay Storm at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Saturday night. This game was the last one of the 2017 regular season.

Philadelphia scored first when quarterback Dan Raudabaugh handed off to running back Mykel Benson, who took it in for a touchdown. That would prove to be the lone score of the first quarter.

Raudabaugh found Shaun Kauleinamoku for a deep touchdown to make the score 14-0 Soul early in the second quarter. That would be the end of the night for Randy Hippeard as Chris Bonner took over. On his first throw, he threw a long touchdown pass to Justin Hilton to make the score 14-7.

Benson scored his second of the night to make it 20-7. Joe Hills‘ 81st consecutive game with a touchdown closed the gap to 20-14. The Soul would score as the half expired when Raudabaugh would run in for a one yard touchdown. That would would make it a 27-14 lead at halftime for Philadelphia.

Following a Kent Richardson interception on a tipped pass from Kendrick Ings, Soul backup quarterback Luke Collis‘ first pass of the night went to Darius Reynolds for a touchdown to give Philadelphia a 34-14 lead.

For a brief period of time, the Storm looked as if they could be making a comeback. After another Hilton touchdown, the Soul turned the ball over on downs. Unfortunately, Tampa turned the ball right back over to Philadelphia.

Trying to ice the game, a Ryan McDaniel fumble at the goal line was recovered by Tampa in the end zone and they were back in it. Once again, however, the Storm turned the ball over.

The icing on the cake would be when Collis threw a 40 yard touchdown to  Reynolds. Philadelphia would go on to win by a final score of 41-28.

They finish their season with a 13-1 record and Tampa finishes at 10-4. The Soul will host the Baltimore Brigade in the first semifinal next Saturday. The Storm will host the Cleveland Gladiators in the second semifinal on Monday, Aug. 14.

Philadelphia Soul Beat Down on Baltimore Brigade, 70-21

The Baltimore Brigade had a chance to clinch a playoff spot on Saturday afternoon. Instead, they laid a giant egg. The Soul jumped out to a 21-0 lead and never looked back, rolling the Brigade 70-21  on Saturday afternoon at the Royal Farms Arena.

In addition to losing the game, they also lost their quarterback. Shane Carden left the game in the second quarter after throwing the first touchdown of the game for the Brigade and didn’t return.

Philly’s defense set the tone right out of the gate, getting two stops on fourth down. They turned both Baltimore turnover on downs into touchdowns to take a 14-0 lead. After spotting 21 points, Baltimore would finally get on the board when Carden hit Brandon Collins for a touchdown to make it 21-7, but it came at a cost. Carden would stay down on the field in pain, and would have to be taken to the locker room.

According to Monumental Sports Network, he was put into the concussion protocol. Philadelphia would add two more scores in the half with a Ryan McDaniel touchdown and a Mykel Benson touchdown following a Baltimore fumble to make it 35-7 at halftime.

The second half would not be any more interesting, as Dwayne Hollis effectively put the game away with a pick six to make it 49-7. Soon after, Raudabaugh’s day was over and backup quarterback Luke Collis took over. The Soul were well on their way to avenging their only loss of the season.

The afternoon was so rough for the Brigade that head coach Omarr Smith described the first half on air as “embarrassing.” For Baltimore, this loss does not put them out of the playoff race. They need the Cleveland Gladiators to beat Washington Valor tonight to clinch a playoff spot. If the Gladiators can’t pull it out, the Brigade and Valor meet next Friday night at the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore to decide who will earn the final playoff spot.

Beijing Lions Beat Qingdao Clipper to Win China Bowl I

The Beijing Lions and the Qingdao Clipper faced off on Sunday in China Bowl I. Whichever team won would be crowned the first ever China Arena Football League champion.

Beijing struck first when Luke Collis found Collin Taylor for a touchdown. The extra point was no good. Qingdao took a 7-6 lead after Bryan Randall found Xavier Boyce for a score.

Taylor scored his second touchdown in the second quarter to give the Lions the lead again. Qingdao struck back with a touchdown from Randall to Reggie Gray. A Collis touchdown pass to their other quarterback, Chris Dieker, as time expired in the first half gave Beijing a 19-14 halftime lead.

Both teams scored a touchdown in the third quarter. In the fourth, Qingdao took a 34-32 lead when Randall found Boyce for another touchdown.

There were four seconds left when Beijing kicker Patrick Clarke III attempted a 16-yard field goal. The kick was no good and it looked as if Qingdao had pulled off the upset.

However, an illegal corner blitz on Qingdao gave Beijing one untimed down. Clarke made the field goal and Beijing won China Bowl I by a final score of 35-34. The Lions cap off a perfect season with a title.